Last week United Way of Greater Portland unveiled ten-year goals for Cumberland County, headlined Thrive 2027. I was lucky to have been a part of the Steering Committee that helped shape the goals, but the real input came from community conversations with over 2,000 area residents from every walk of life, every age and every part of the County. Aided by experts on education, financial stability and health our group was able to set out three ambitious goals:

Every child in Cumberland County has quality early learning experiences beginning at birth.

Individuals and families in Cumberland County have the education, employment opportunities and resources to achieve financial stability.

Children, adults and communities in Cumberland County have the resources and opportunities to achieve optimal health status.

Maybe ‘ambitious’ is an understatement, but beneath each goal we’ve identified specific, measurable strategies that will move us closer, like increasing 3rd grade reading proficiency from 71 to 78 percent in 10 years, reducing housing costs for working and poor people by 5 percent, and improving life expectancy for people suffering with the aftereffects of acute childhood exposure to abuse, trauma and neglect by 10 percent in the next decade. We’ll be tracking progress every year, breaking down these huge goals into attainable steps. Which is how impossible things become possible.

In the past United Way has defined goals for themselves and the agencies they fund. This is different. These aren’t United Way’s goals – they’re OUR goals. The entire community’s goals, coming from community conversations with the whole County, and counting on everyone working on, contributing to and helping achieve what no single organization or agency could do on its own.

You’ll be hearing more about how the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce will engage these goals. I’m hoping you’ll be hearing the same from employers, schools, government and citizens in every one of Cumberland County’s communities. Working together like this is called Collective Impact. I’m guessing we will do just that.